I have the privilege of spending Veterans Day in a place where it carries special meaning this year. Last week, a gunman stationed at Ft. Hood in central Texas, started shooting and killed 13 people. Twelve of the victims were members of the military. At a time when soldiers risk their lives every day in Afghanistan and Iraq, they certainly don’t expect to risk their lives once they make it safely home. As the investigation continues, and the wounds of the injured begin to heal, the family of those killed will begin to bury their dead. Their sacrifice is a world apart. Even though they were not killed on the battlefield, in the end they were killed because they had a commitment to serving their country. No one but soldiers and those serving soldiers were killed or wounded that day.

Today at a press conference, three soldiers wounded during the attack were in front of the cameras. They are part of a unit who lost three people in the shooting. I can only begin to imagine the pain they and their families are experiencing. They will deploy to Afghanistan before the year is out.

When the military wants to get something done, it can do so with amazing speed and efficiency.  I’ve seen this firsthand in some pretty far-flung locations like Afghanistan and Iraq …  and was reminded of it by the building of the security wall at Fort Hood, Texas.

Using massive forklifts and Con-Ex shipping containers, the U.S. Army has built a protective barrier around a field in front of the III Corp Headquarters Building to keep families, dignitaries and the President safe and out of sight.

By my calculation, the main portion of the wall runs nearly 900 feet long and stands almost 30 feet tall.  A side wall runs more than 200 feet with containers stacked two and three high.  Several members of the White House Press Corp told me they’d never seen anything like it, although I’ve been told by others that both former President George W. Bush and former Vice President Dick Cheney got similar treatment at visits to other military posts.

Inside the wall the majority of press is assembling in a penned in area at the very rear in a corner (is there an underlying message here…?).  Some 2000 chairs have been set up much closer to the platform and podium built near the driveway in front of the HQ, where family members of the Fort Hood victims and some of those wounded who were treated and released will join politicians, officers, friends and members of the public wishing to pay tribute to the fallen.

The mood here has been somber, respectful and reflective.  There is little discussion between soldiers and the press about warning signs that may have been missed by investigators regarding suspect Major Nidal Malik Hasan’s reported contact with radical islamists overseas.  They’re not looking to place blame or point fingers, at least not to us.  What we’re hearing time and again is how proud they are of their fellow soldiers in the way they handled the incident, treating the wounded (including the alleged killer himself) and supporting each other in a time of crisis. The focus here is on healing and staying on course, allowing the investigation to move forward while learning lessons to try and prevent anything like this from ever happening again.

Rick Waits for the ceremony to begin.

Thomas “Tommy” Vecera grew up in Flower Mound Texas, not far from Fort Hood.

He calls Everett Washington home now but is scheduled to be deployed to Afghanistan soon.

That’s why he was back in central Texas, at the soldier processing center at Fort Hood last week, getting prepped for deployment when Major Nidal Malik Hasan began shooting fellow soldiers on Post.

I spoke to Tommy about what he saw and heard last Thursday afternoon.  His description of the events were as vivid and chilling as any I’ve heard so far.

Tommy witnessed the carnage, helped patch some of the first wounded, then watched the end of the killer’s rampage and saw with his own eyes the heroic actions civilian police Sergeant Kimberly Munley who along with Sgt. Mark Todd brought the spree to an end.

Vecera says he heard the initial shots and then people rushed wounded into the building he was in next door to the scene.  “We started assisting the soldiers, trying to figure out what was going on. Everyone was screaming, running around … our main concern was taking care of the soldiers that were down.”

“Did you ever see the shooter?” I asked.

“Later on …  I looked out the window and at that time, I saw the gunman come out of one of the buildings. ”

“What was he doing?”

“He was waving the gun around and firing at the crowd that was running from the building.”

“Shooting at people running away?”

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Welcome to Fort Irwin

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Like the entire country, we were all saddened yet glued to the television as the horrific story in Texas unfolded at Fort Hood. So many times we have covered stories around the globe with soldiers stationed in Killeen and we have heard so many stories about the base, it makes you feel connected … right along with our unwavering support for our troops.

Within a few hours of the shooting we got the call. Many soldiers and their families at Fort Hood have at one time come through Fort Irwin, the Army’s massive training site in the middle of the Mojave Desert. While this base is not nearly as large as Hood, Irwin has about 22,000 soldiers and civilians on base each day by midday. Six-thousand cars make the drive off of Interstate 15 down about 35 miles or so across the desolate landscape each and every day. The topography reminds me of parts I’ve seen in th middle east and in Pakistan. The area is arid, cold at night and warm during the day.

Producer Laura Prabucki and I leave LA and battle traffic and the long road for several hours before arriving in Barstow. There we grab a quick hotel room and a few hours of sleep. Photographer Scott King and our satellite truck guru Eric Graychock decide to leave early in the morning and head straight to the fort. Our first task before we leave Barstow is a stop at a quick mart to grab water and any food that is not perishable. Unlike other bases around the country, Irwin is literally in the middle of nowhere.

Because of the concern about the shooting in Texas, Fort Irwin has decided to keep the media about 5 miles away. We have great relations with the men and women here and understand their decision. So, we are parked next to the sign that welcomes everyone, along with a couple of retired tanks. From the knoll where we are reporting, I look in a 360 degree area and see absolutely nothing. Topography that reminds me of stories I’ve covered in the Middle East and in Pakistan. Other than the road that 6,000 cars a day trek down, there’s some scrub brush and tumbleweeds, both greenish yellow from recent rains.

Everywhere we stop and everyone we meet is either watching the reports on television, or expressing condolences for all of those who serve our great nation. It is a tough time for the Army today no matter where you serve. Brothers, sisters, comrades, soldiers….all Americans. Are thoughts and prayers are with you.

Kris interviews Capt. Reis Ritz ER Physician

We’re live at Ft. Hood, just a day after a gunman killed now 13 people and hurting another 28 other people. Investigators are still trying to piece together what happened yesterday. At this point, they’re saying the suspect, a solider, Major Nidal Malik Hasan, acted on his own when he came into the Solider Readiness Center and started shooting. Investigators would not comment on a potential motive – they say, it’s just too early to tell. They interviewed witnesses through the night in the search for answers.

Ft. Hood is in a day of mourning today. Of the thirteen people killed, twelve were soliders and the other was a civilian. Of those hurt, all are in stable condition. The suspect is also in stable condition.